Book Marketing For Beginners: Attract Readers & Boost Sales

Don’t you wish you could just write a book, publish it, and have readers instantly want to read it?

Every author does! But that’s not how the world works.

Not for most writers anyway.

The big hitters in the industry get their marketing done for them. Even with minimal marketing, they have enough fans and authority to generate sales.

For the large majority of authors (including other traditionally published authors), life isn’t that simple. For your book and your name to be noticed, you must promote it like your book’s success depends on it.

Because it does. 

But this process is long and complex and you have to be patient – and strategic.

Marketing your book is about figuring out the best way to showcase your book to the right readers and get them interested.

In today’s blog, we’re going to help you figure that out, step by step.

Book Marketing Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Know Your Market

If you’re writing this book for yourself and not your readers, close the blog and be off on your merry way. 

If not then settle in because you need to consider the right readers for your book. You must know who they are before you write the book. 

The easiest way to do this is to research other authors. Look at recent books similar to your genre and browse the Goodreads and Amazon book pages to see how well they’re doing in the current landscape.

Use the following points to guide your research:

• What are readers saying? What did they love? What did they hate?
• How long are those books? 
• What are their prices? 
• How did the author market that book? 

It may be impossible to know which book marketing strategies worked (they might not fully know themselves!) but you’ll have a better idea of what’s being done.

Jot down the collected information and keep it in the back of your mind when writing so you know the end goal. And we say back of the mind because you should still write a book that you’re happy with. 

Because if you’re not happy, readers won’t be either. 

If you have the time to do a little more, start growing a small audience if you don’t already have one, whether on social media or through blogs.

We suggest starting with an email list and author website as first steps. 

Through your website, you can collect readers’ email addresses with explicit permission to send them weekly or monthly emails. In these newsletters, you can talk about your journey as an author or share short stories for free. This builds rapport with your readers.

It’s one of the most consistent book marketing tactics since you’re nurturing your audience over time. More on this later!

Top Tip 1#: Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor traffic and engagement on your website to learn about your readers and what does well on the SERPs.

Step 2: When Marketing Meets Publishing 

Although getting book sales can feel out of your control, book marketing isn’t just about external factors like social media and website traffic. The details surrounding your book from the title to the keywords you use on Amazon matter even more. 

You need to lay the groundwork to help you succeed once you publish and market the book. That means curating your author platform and working on every aspect of your book – not just the plot.

These are crucial for successful book marketing:

• Intriguing book title 
• Effective book subtitle
• Well-edited book
• Proper book formatting
• Attention-grabbing book cover
• Captivating book blurb
• Brand-specific author bio
• Amazon Author Central
• Amazon book categories & keywords
• Professional author website
• Co-ordinated email marketing

Intriguing book title 

This is one of the first impressions your book will make (next to the book cover). The reader’s eyes will be drawn to this – and what they see can make or break your book marketing.

If the book title is uninteresting or unrelated to your genre, your target reader will move on without a second glance.

Staying on brand, topic, and genre will help you appeal to your audience. Once again, see what other authors are doing and how you can replicate it in a way that is unique to you and your book.

Here are some examples of thriller book titles:

• Gone Girl
• The Housemaid
• Sharp Objects
• None of This is True
• One of Us is Lying
• The Silent Patient

Some of these have obvious similarities, either using a noun like housemaid, gone, or patient. Some use jarring adjectives like sharp, silent, or gone. 

A longer title can work if it erks the reader and makes them want to find out the reason behind it like with None of This is True or One of Us is Lying. Use this research to make a thriller title that fits in with this group!

Effective book subtitle

A popular way of using book subtitles is to refer to your book’s sub-genre and atmosphere. These are some fantasy subtitle examples:

• An Epic Romantic Fantasy 
• A YA Medieval Fantasy Adventure
• A Dark Fantasy Romance
• Urban Fantasy Saga

Subtitles are sometimes used for non-fiction to expand on the book’s contents enough to grab the reader’s attention. These are some non-fiction examples:

• The Girl in the Leaves (Berkley True Crime)
• Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World
• The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
• The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

These subtitles give you a deeper look at the story’s content while intriguing the target audience.

Well-edited book

Bad editing will hurt your book marketing efforts. If you don’t take the time to polish your book, readers who bought it will leave negative reviews.

They’ll tell their friends not to bother with it and your promotions will come up empty-handed. Putting time and effort into correcting grammar and punctuation errors gives your book that professional edge. 

Readers are critical consumers, they read words as a hobby! It’ll be easy for them to spot mistakes. Give them nothing to spot.

Proper book formatting

Readers usually skip over the standard book format elements like copyright pages, title pages, etc. 

But when books aren’t professionally done, the reader will know. It’ll stick out like a sore thumb, or disappear into a sea of books no one buys.

It’s a simple yet tedious task and it makes all the difference.

Attention-grabbing book cover

We consider book covers to be the first impression because humans are visual creatures. 

Just like you’d have a bad first impression of someone if they showed up with pajamas to the office on their first day, you’d have a bad impression of a book if it didn’t look professional and relate to the genre.

Book covers are important not just aesthetically but for illustrating the story. A bad book cover usually leads to low book sales.

Don’t ignore your book cover’s importance, your book will be severely underdressed in comparison to the others.

Captivating book blurb

After the first impression comes the introduction of your story.

Your blurb is an undercover sales pitch that tells the reader what your book is about without giving too much away. 

It can either confuse them or entice them. If you want to learn more about book blurbs, check out our blog: How To Write a Compelling Book Blurb (+15 Examples)

Brand-specific author bio

As we said in our blog, “An author biography briefly tells the reader everything they need to know about the author’s credentials, writer journey, and previous works.”

It’s a professional introduction to readers, but it’s also a book marketing tool you can leverage to show readers why you’re worth paying attention to.

It’s a valuable tool for non-fiction authors to show authority. For fiction authors, it can help build trust with readers. We’re more likely to trust someone if we know more about them. But only share what you are comfortable sharing!

Amazon Author Central

Amazon is the most popular online book retailer, so taking up space on this platform is important for your book’s success. 

Amazon’s author central page will allow you more control over the reader’s experience on your book’s page. You can also track sales data, post announcements for events and launches, and drive traffic to your website through well-placed links. 

Here are some of the features:

• Editorial Reviews: Impress potential readers with reviews from credible sources before they read the sea of reader reviews that you have no control over.
• Book Trailers: Nothing can tip the scales like a well-edited video convincing them to buy your book.
• Follow: With an Amazon Author Central account, you get a follow button next to your name for readers to stay engaged with anything else you upload and publish.
• Take a peek: With the look inside feature, readers can view a small portion of the book, for example, the first chapter – your writing style could convince them to buy the book!

Amazon book categories & keywords

When uploading your book to Amazon, you can select book categories and keywords that suit your book. This will help your book rank in these categories. Research possible genres and see what fits your book!

Top Tip #2: Once you’ve published your book, you can go back and edit the categories, and add even more! This will give your book a chance to rank.

Professional author website

Any serious author looking to build a career would suggest you get an author website. It may seem like a hassle to set up and maintain, but having one is essential for your online presence.

It’s a hub to display everything associated with your authorship, including books, series, an about page, blogs, email sign-up pages, events, announcements, and extras like resources, podcasts, and glossaries. 

The list is endless for what you can have and the great thing about it is, the experience readers have is completely up to you – not some random algorithm!

The atmosphere, flow of content, and promotions are all up to you.

If you want to build a community, you need an author website.

Co-ordinated email marketing

As we’ve mentioned above, building an email list is a long-term book marketing tactic that focuses on sales and community.

But how do you get readers to join one?

Firstly, you need to choose an email service provider that fits your needs, set it up, and create a sign-up page on your author website. Include a reader magnet offering a free ebook, excerpt, or any other valuable item that interests the target reader, in exchange for their email address. 

Once they’re on your email list, you can start sending newsletters! We do suggest having a schedule (you can test which days get the most engagement) and sticking to it. No use having readers on an email list and only sending them an email every year to promote a book.

You can use these emails to:

• Find beta readers, 
• Promote other author’s works,
• Review books,
• Discuss topics and themes surrounding your books,
• Share writing updates,
• Answer questions from fans, etc.

Consistent engagement keeps you in readers’ eye line, making them more likely to buy a book. From email service providers to newsletter ideas, we discuss it all here: An Author Newsletter Readers Will Love (Tips and Examples).

Step 3: The One-Size-Fits-All Book Marketing Plan

Next is to have a plan of action. Since every author’s needs are different, we’ll give you a general overview anyone can use.

Your Book Marketing Plan:

1. Confirm branding, perspectives, and niche market.
2. Determine your audience
3. Keep an eye on competition
4. Set realistic goals
5. Set your budget
6. Choose distribution

Step 3.1: Confirm branding, perspectives, and niche market

Consider your writing style and themes and note what makes you unique. Then jot down what you want a reader to think of when they think of you and Voila! You’ve outlined your brand! 

Now think about where your brand and perspective fits in the publishing world. Are there any niche markets you can take up space in and stake your claim?

Top Tip #3: Keep this data somewhere you can find it, you’ll need it for future book promotions.

Step 3.2: Determine your audience

Once you have a better idea of your branding and market, consider how these attributes will resonate with readers – who will it attract? 

Here are some important points to help discover your audience:

• What type of readers enjoy your books?
• Who will benefit the most from your books?
• Where do these readers hang out online?
• What type of promotions would they be more engaged with (for example, fanart contests for fantasy readers)? 

Top Tip #4: It may also help to do research (you can even turn to AI tools) to outline reader profiles to better understand your target readers and what niche you fit into.

Step 3.3: Keep an eye on competition

At every stage, you should research other authors to see what tactics are working and what’s trending.

And as much as we call these authors competition, they’re just authors trying to be seen by readers too. Learn from what they’re doing and expand on it for your own brand.

Research the following about your fellow authors:

• What do their blurbs look like?
• What events are they holding?
• Which influencers are talking about their books?
• Who have they swapped newsletters with? 
• How often do they post on social media?
• What do they post on social media?

Step 3.4: Set realistic goals

Every author wants to be a bestseller. But not every author can be.

Instead, set realistic goals that you can plan towards. For example, you want to get 50 sign-ups for your newsletter in the next 2 months.

Another example: you want to get 10 reviews on your book launch day.

Step 3.5: Set your budget

No use doing all of the work and spending more than your wallet can manage. 

Consider how much you’re willing to spend given the price you’ll set for your book and your goals. Allocate the budget according to your priorities.

Step 3.6: Choose distribution

It may seem like a publishing decision, but where you publish your book is a marketing decision too.

Contacting local bookstores to stock your book would mean you could coordinate with them for launch events.

Another impact on distribution is if you want to use KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited. You won’t be able to publish your ebook at any other online retailer. Kindle Unlimited is convenient for different types of readers – so choose wisely! 

Top Tip #5: See which part of the year is best to publish your book, for example, a Christmas book would get more attention near November and December.

Step 4: Book Marketing Ideas You Can Steal

There are many marketing strategies out there, and you should experiment when you feel more comfortable and confident with book marketing. But for now, we’re discussing the popular methods.

To streamline the ideas, we’ve grouped them by popular strategies that are known in the marketing world. These are:

• Organic search
• Advertising
• Email marketing
• Word of mouth
• Social media

Top Tip #6: Set up a calendar so your book marketing strategies are spread out, encouraging continuous engagement. Getting sales every week through promotions will help you rank on Amazon.

Organic search

Organic search marketing usually refers to your website ranking in unpaid search results (not through ads), but this section will cover different ways for you to be discovered organically online on different platforms.

Note: Content marketing strategies will also be included since they will help you get exposure as an author or authority in your field.

Author website

When attempting to rank on the SERPS (Search Engine Results Page) you need to dedicate some effort to SEO (Search Engine Optimization). 

These terms may seem scary, but it’s all about relevancy. For example, if your name is Jane Doe, you’d want your website to be the first result on Google when someone searches Jane Doe. Your URL would be janedoe.com.

If there are many Jane Does, then it could be janedoeauthor.com or include a letter from your middle name, for example.

Another way to ensure Google likes your website enough for it to rank first is to use specific keywords in the content on your website that relate to your brand.

There are other techniques like heading tags, meta descriptions, loading time, etc. Here’s our blog on it: SEO for Authors Complete Guide.

Top Tip #7: You can use SEO to help you pick out a good pen name and book titles. Why be amongst a sea of Jane Does when you could be the one and only Alberta Wigglesworth? 

SEO can be tricky especially when pairing it with the technical skills required to create a stunning website. If you’d rather leave the techy stuff to experts, fill in this form.

Blogs

Another way to get discovered by readers is to write blogs using keywords you know they are looking for. For example, historical fiction authors blog about the periods their books were set in.

Blogging as an author gives you a chance to connect with your audience on important topics and show them who you are and why they should try out your books. 

Podcasts

Featuring on a podcast can be a great exposure. Simply reach out to podcasters, send them your book’s pitch, and cross your fingers that they’ll contact you to join them for an episode!

Non-fiction authors find this strategy the most useful since they can share their expertise in their area of knowledge with a keen audience that could find the book valuable. Fiction authors can bolster their image and connect with potential readers on themes similar to their books.

Or…start a podcast yourself! There’s nothing wrong with diversifying and finding more ways to get your message across. You can promote your book on there too (tastefully of course).

YouTube videos

This is the same principle as podcasts but in video format. Pitch your book to popular YouTube Channels that have an overlap with your target readers and hope they’re interested enough to have you on.

Some channels are centered around interviewing the guest, while others create content in their own right. You could appear anywhere you think your audience may lie – but adjust your pitch to suit the recipient. 

Top Tip #8: BookTubers are a thing! You could contact them and see if they’re willing to check out your book and review it on their channel.

Book blog tour

With the digital world only getting bigger, you can go on tour without leaving your home. (You could also have a regular book tour if you have the budget to go on the road!)

Many authors have found success with lining up a bunch of blogs to guest star on and discuss the themes and topics around their books.

If you want to know how to pull one off, look no further: The Complete Guide To Book Blog Tour Success.

Advertising

This section will include all the ways you can try to bring attention to yourself and your book.

Facebook ads

Facebook has a large user base. You’re potential readers are likely there, waiting to be found.

Ads are an effective way to not only get exposure but actual sales too.

But it’s not as simple as you’d hope. It takes a lot of time and effort to get it right. From testing different copies to constantly testing graphics, you’ll be full up to the brim with ads. 

Plus you have to coordinate it with the sales data to ensure you’re earning and not just paying Facebook. 

If you’d rather spend time working on your book, we’d be happy to take Facebook ads off your hands. Just fill in this inquiry form and we’ll see if we’re a good fit!

Amazon ads

The great thing about advertising on Amazon is, you’re advertising to customers. They already have the intent of buying something. 

Ads don’t look like ads either! They appear as products making them more likely to be clicked on. But the downside is, there’s stiff competition. Everyone wants a piece of the Amazon pie, so you have to try your best to stand out.

Thankfully, the graphics are not a stressful endeavor like with Facebook – your book cover does the talking.

But if you want to make your book page visually pleasing you can use A+ content. Add a professional touch with designed descriptions to expand on your book with editorial reviews, teasers, excerpts, etc. 

Example of highlights from Court of Winter:

Example of Publisher’s section from Lightlark:

Book promotion sites

Sites like BookBub, Freebooksy, and BookDoggy help readers find books in their preferred genres, therefore showcasing author’s books to their ideal audience. Some are free, and some charge a fee. 

Look up their requirements and see if the site will benefit your book marketing efforts.

Press releases 

This is one of those old-school book marketing tactics – and they still work!

Book press releases are used to announce your book to media organizations, and other influential people in the space. This could help you secure interviews, and articles on big platforms.

Top Tip #8: Reach out to local magazines and publications with your press release to add a spot for your book to gain exposure.

Remember to keep it short (about 300-500 words) and engaging. Include the following in your press release:

• Introduction of plotline.
• Synopsis explaining the book further.
• Quotes and reviews to give your book social proof.
• Links, photos, and graphics like book covers, trailers, your headshot, etc. (you can use Canva, Book Brush, or a professional to do these).
• Author bio or boilerplate – ensure your photo is professional and matches your book. 

If you want to learn more about how to do one right, here’s our blog for more info: How To Write A Book Press Release (That Gets Results).

Book launch party

Book marketing isn’t all numbers and statistics- it can be a party too!

A book launch party is a celebration where you connect with readers and a marketing strategy to get your book some publicity.

You can host it at a local book store, on a YouTube Stream, Live on Instagram, etc. It requires a lot of planning in terms of catering, decor, and fun activities like readings and giveaways. 

Top Tip #9: Round up a book launch team. Your team will consist of people who will support you by reading an early copy, giving reviews, and doing their best to promote your book on their channels. Contact author friends, family, friends, email list subscribers, etc.

Book reviews 

These may seem like an ego booster (or crusher), but they’re integral to your book’s success.

When shopping for any product, you’ll likely look at the reviews first before buying it. The same applies to books!

Readers are more likely to buy your book if they see a good number of 4 or 5-star reviews. To get people to buy your book, you need reviews. But to get reviews, you need people to buy your book…or do you?

Contact the people below and provide them with an ARC version of your book to read before the launch: 

• Followers on social media
• Book bloggers
• Social media influencers
• Newsletter subscribers
• Industry professionals you’re friends with
• Other authors and writers
• Experts in your field that you admire

Top Tip #10: Add a page in the back matter of your book asking for readers to review the book. 

Be direct and humble with your request. On the one hand, they need to understand the goal, on the other, they’re doing you a favor! Tread that line of being upfront while also showing how grateful you are for them to consider helping you.

Once they’ve accepted their mission be very clear that you’d appreciate them posting their reviews of the book during the week of its launch and in the coming weeks. 

If you manage to get a steady stream of reviews every week, your book will rise in the ranks. Plan accordingly!

Top Tip #11: If you want those authoritative quotable reviews from professionals in the industry, have a look at our blog on how to go about it: Professional Book Review: The Ultimate Guide.

Book trailers

Blurbs, elevator pitches, and copy may not be enough – especially in the digital age where visually gripping content reigns supreme. This is where book trailers come in. 

Whether you use AI to assist or shoot the video yourself, the trailer should be as entertaining as possible. There are plenty of interesting short-form videos online that readers can view instead, so hold their attention.

Introduce the characters, plot, and main conflict without revealing too much. We suggest writing a short script to fill about less than 2 minutes worth of content that uses the most captivating parts of your book.

Want to see some examples of epic book trailers? Stroll on in here: 22 Epic Book Trailers (Inspiring Videos and Why They Work)

Top Tip #12: If you want some cool images for readers to share, try making book teasers that encapsulate the book’s atmosphere. We talk more on how to make intriguing book teasers here: How To Write A Book Teaser (Plus Inspiring Ideas & Examples)

Events

Another great book marketing idea is to hold or attend events during your book’s launch.

Look at the following types of events to promote your book: 

• Book signings: Meet new readers and fans and add your John Hancock to your newly launched book (plus have readings, Q&As, giveaways, and a few conversations!)
• Book conferences and fairs: Use this as a chance to network with industry professionals like authoritative figures, editors, literary agents, publications, and fellow authors and promote your book to readers.
• Speaking engagements: This works great for non-fiction authors with something to say! Curate your talks around the themes of your book and position yourself as an expert on the topic.

Top Tip #13: Host your events in places unique to your audience. For example a park picnic for a Romance book. Or inspirational speeches given at schools and colleges. 

Merchandise 

Use merch as a way to grow your community because who doesn’t love sick apparel from their favorite media? Or you could use it as an incentive for readers to buy your book at events. 

For example, buy a book and get a pin, or buy the boxset and get a mug and a T-shirt! 

You can also use it to encourage preorders. 

Examples of merch could be cute mugs, shirts, pins, bookmarks, hats, posters, etc.

Book awards

It’s an ego-boosting exposure tactic that will launch your books into conversations and help promote your book through word of mouth. 

Look at all the book awards and contests out there and see which categories your book fits in. But remember many require you to pay a fee to enter.

Price promotions

Who doesn’t love a good discount?

It may not feel great selling your book for less than the full price, but it can get you more readers. Because once they read that book, they’ll read more!

Top Tip #14: You can promote the special price through ads or your newsletter to get readers on the fence to finally make the leap and add your book to their bookshelves.

Email marketing

83% of consumers prefer receiving brand communications via email. It’s the best way to communicate with your readers! When they click on your email, you have their (more or less) undivided attention. 

Use these strategies to make it count.

Top Tip #15: Edit your email signature to hyperlink your author website and new release – not everyone clicks it but that info should be easy to find if any readers are curious.

Free excerpts

Give email subscribers a taste of your writing style through excerpts. You could share a short story, a scene from a new release, or a snippet from a book you’re working on to create some early buzz.

It rewards your fans for sticking with you by providing extra content, and it convinces new readers to buy a book if they like what they see.

Exclusive content

Humans love being a part of something prestigious. 

If you want to grow your email list, you could start offering exclusive content, and add a paid subscription to get access to it. 

Examples of exclusive content could be:

• Early access to popular items.
• Limited edition merch or book covers.
• Coupons and discounts.
• Perks like free ebooks, courses, free shipping, etc.
• Behind-the-scenes content and exclusive content that can’t be found anywhere else.

Newsletter swaps

If you have author friends with newsletters, ask if they would mind promoting your book to their email list – and do the same for them in return!

Each of you can expand to new readers and get new email subscribers. It’s a win-win!

Top Tip #16: Remember that when you’re networking with authors, your relationship shouldn’t be disingenuous. All the promotional stuff will come once you build real relationships.

Engage readers

If you want your newsletters to form a strong community, try these tactics:

• Send a survey: If you want to know what your readers really think about book covers, and their preferences for tropes, just ask them!
• Readers, assemble!: If you need beta readers, alpha readers, or a street/launch team, send out an email asking if any readers are interested.
• Community events: Host challenges, book club readings, write-alongs, etc. to engage readers.
• Shoutouts: Share fan artwork by readers and share thanks to your paid subs – this will encourage others to engage with you.

Word of mouth

This is the most powerful strategy of all.

You’re more likely to buy something if it was recommended by someone you trust. Unfortunately, you can’t whisper in a reader’s ear.

“You’ll enjoy this book.” Wink, wink, “Trust me.”

You’ll creep them out. Do the below instead.

Contests & Giveaways

You could have a campaign where you do fun activities leading up to your launch like giveaways and contests for fanart, favorite quotes, etc.

You’ll never truly know how many sales you get from it, but the idea is to get your book out there to readers who could potentially become fans and tell others to read the book.

Ideas for giveaways and prizes:

• Signed copies
• Limited editions
• Merch
• Free ebook for the winner and a friend.

When setting up contests and giveaways, give readers clear instructions on how to enter so it’s easy for you to pick the winner.

For giveaways:

Ask them to like the post and share their account handle in the comments section, or tag 3 friends. 

Readers who won could leave a review. Those who didn’t win will be more aware of your book and more likely to buy it.

For contests:

Ask readers to use a specific hashtag when posting their content so you can search the hashtag and pick a winner.

This does help you see all the contestants easily, but it also helps this hashtag trend in book lovers’ feeds.

When followers of the contestants see their participation, they’ll be made aware of your book.

Top Tip #17: Collect email addresses from winners and contestants to add to your email list.

Book clubs

Find book clubs online or in your local community and pitch your book to them. If they love your pitch, they’ll all go out and buy the book!

You can also provide discussion questions and offer a Q&A to sweeten the deal.

Partnerships

Whether you’re a non-fiction author or a fiction author, you can partner with different organizations and other authors to spread the word about your new book.

Partnering with organizations can be starting a campaign related to your book. For example, you can partner with a charity or non-profit to raise awareness for an illness or socio-economic problem.

If you want to partner with authors, you can have book bundles with each of your books, for example.

Social media

Many other strategies incorporate social media to deliver the tactic, but here we’re covering any loose ends.

Influencers

The way to get the most out of social media as a book marketing tool and not just an exposure tactic is to use influencers on the platform to spread the word about your books to their audience.

But first, you need to pick a platform! Spreading yourself thin with multiple platforms can be overwhelming. Rather have one or two platforms you know how to operate and have the time to dedicate to.

The options are Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, TikTok, and LinkedIn (for non-fiction authors).

Then reach out to influencers who talk about similar books to yours and pitch your story. Thank them for their time and ask them to review it honestly if they read it. The keyword being ‘honestly.’ Begging for good reviews is not a good look or remotely okay! 

Top Tip #18: Use ARC reader companies that distribute books to influencers to save time, but it may cost more. 

Posts

It’s perfectly fine to post work desk aesthetics, and cute pictures on holiday. But before a book release, you need to be more strategic with posts.

Top Tip #19: Take advantage of Reels, Lives, and Stories and not just regular posts. Videos and quick media are all the rage, so cater to the masses.

You could incorporate these posts:

• Ask Me Anything: Post a Story for readers to ask questions about your new release, then post the questions and their answers in the next stories or a Reel.
• Book discussions: Ask readers to comment on what they expect to happen in your newest release.
• Updates on the journey: Share behind-the-scenes content, the backstory of your book, etc. – this will remind readers that a new book is coming while making them feel part of the process.
• Live readings: Go live and read an excerpt! Announce this in a post so you have an eager audience. 

Top Tip #19: Use popular hashtags to have your content show up for readers looking for related content.

Final Step: Market Your Book, Rinse & Repeat

Once you’ve done the steps and ideas above…you have to do them again. And again and again.

If you want your book to be successful, book marketing is a never-ending cycle. And we have one last tip to help you market your book.

Write more of them!

That’s right. There’s no use putting all your eggs in one basket and hoping that’s your bestseller. Keep writing, adding books to series, starting new series, and maybe even experimenting with different genres. 

The book you’re marketing may not be your ticket to the top, but the next one might be. And if you need a home for all of these books and your other promotions, we can help take that off your plate so you can focus on writing.

We’ve built for authors from all walks of life – from debuts to million-book-selling authors. Our websites fit them perfectly and help their brand stand out. If you want to join them on page 1 of Google, fill in this inquiry form and we’ll see how we can help.